Garment packaging device



Feb. 22, 1966 a. P. RUETTGER GARMENT PACKAGING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1963 FIG.2

INVENTOR.

BERNARD P. RUETTGER CM zzww United States Patent 3,236,388 GARMENT PACKAGING DEVICE Bernard P. Ruettger, 1323 W. 44th St, Erie, Pa. Filed July 18, 1963, Ser. No. 295,986 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. 211113) This invention relates to a garment holder, and more particularly, to a holder for a garment which may be folded with its collar overlying a part of the folded garment as in a shirt.

This device forming the subject matter of this application is an ensemble of pockets or bags for shirts, blouses, and other garments or articles in general. A hook, hanger, or other holding innovation is attached to the top of the device for transporting, storing, displaying, or enhancing for promotion or sales purposes.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a garment holder which will present easy access to a number of shirts or articles at one and the same time so that while being collectively contained within the pocket ensemble, the articles can, on an individual basis, be examined with regards to collar construction and appearance.

Another object of this invention is to allow further identification of the garments on an individual basis while they are collectively contained in the pocket ensemble by printing or otherwise marking or labeling any exposed area of each pocket with information needed to further segregate or point out the physical characteristics of each contained article.

In the case of the device holding a number of shirts, it would be advantageous to indicate the configuration of each shirts cuffs as to whether they were French ends, button cuffs, or a combination of French and button cuffs so that the party or persons concerned could inspect the garments or articles more completely before making a selection. The range of or manner in which identification can be established in this way is extensive and many innovations Will readily become apparent to those familiar with the art.

Although all of the attached illustrations show the relative positions of each component of the invention to one another, no indication of a method or means of attaching the same to each other has been included for the sake of clarity. Any number of fastening processes and patterns will readily occur to those familiar with the art. For example, glue, tape, buttons, snaps, clips, zippers, heat-seal joining with plastic, staples, pins, or rivets might be used to assemble all of the components of the invention to one another.

Another advantage of the invention is the unitized or identical design of each pocket utilized for making up an ensemble. The identical pockets make possible a final pocket ensemble consisting of as many pockets as are required for the situation at hand and depending only upon the choice of materials used for construction of the ensemble components and the means chosen to fasten the same in arriving at the assembly. This identity in size and design of each pocket make available the option to interchange pockets with one another, subtract or add pockets to any ensemble as desired, replace worn pockets, or otherwise alter the assembly of the pocket portion of the invention. Also, this unit type construction lends favorably to economic production of the same over all devices simulating it but which are constructed in a solid or one piece type arrangement and which consequently would not have the options outlined above as well as others.

The invention has the capacity to perform two or more services in many applications and industries; in particular, the shirt laundry and drycleaning industry whereby this invention not only has the capability of presenting to the proprietor thereof a simple, economically constructed stor- 3,236,388 Patented Feb. 22, 1965 age and transportation vehicle for laundered and/or pressed shirts but, upon later delivery of the shirts while contained in this invention to the consumer, there is litte or no need for that party to unpack the same as would be necessary if it were delivered in a box or a bag. In stead, they may be immediately and more conveniently hung in a closet until any shirt or shirts are needed for use.

The drawing shows the symmetrical arrangement of all of the pockets with respect to the hooking or hanging innovation. The device may be made up of two, four, six, eight, or any even number of pockets. The center of gravity of the device will fall in the general vicinity of the vertical center line whenever the ensemble is either fully loaded, fuy unloaded, or partially loaded with an equal number of shirts back to back, so to speak, on the right and left sides, respectively. Consequently, the device, if loaded in this manner, will hang vertically with no bias in any direction.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved garment holder, display, or packaging device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment holder which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efiicient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment holder according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the garment holder; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a garment holder with three shirts shown and the others hidden from view.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, a garment holder is made up of a front first bag 11, a front second bag 12, a front third bag 13, a rear first bag 11', a rear second bag 12, and a rear third bag 13'. Each bag is made up of a front sheet 14 and a rear sheet 15. The sheets may be fastened together along the side edges at 17 by suitable means. Each bag could be made from a single tubular member folded and closed at its lower end.

The rear sheet 15 of each bag 11 and 11' is attached to a generally rigid support member 18 which may be made from a cardboard folded at its top. A coat hanger with a hook 19 is disposed through an opening 20 in the folded cardboard. The hanger is a transverse rigid support 21 disposed between the fold of the rigid member 18.

The front sheets 14 are all cut out to provide a generally curved notch 22 which renders the front sheets 14 shorter than the rear sheets 15. The curved notch 22 conforms to the outside of a shirt collar band. Thus, when garments such as shirts are disposed in the compartments of the bags, the notch 22 will fit generally to the shape of the collar band and holds it in shape While ends 24 of the collars will overlie the front sheets 14.

The rear sheets of the second bags 12 and 12' are attached to the front sheets of the first bags 11 and 11' below the top at approximately one-fourth of the way from the top thereof, for example. This spacing could vary considerably, however. The rear sheets of the third bags are attached to the front sheets of the second bags in like manner. Additional bags can be added.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an economical, efiicient, compact device has been provided for storing and displaying shirts.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A garment holder comprising a plurality of bags of substantially equal length comprising two each of first, second, and third bags,

each said bag having a front and a back sheet adapted to be disposed generally parallel to each other when in unused position,

said back sheets being longer than said front sheets,

hanger means,

said two first bags being disposed back to back and attached to said hanger means,

said two second bags being disposed back to back and each said second bag having its back sheet fixed to the front sheet of one of said first bags below the upper edge thereof,

the lower edge of each said first bag terminating substantially half way between the top and bottom of each said second bag,

said two third bags disposed back to back,

each said third bag having its back sheet fixed to the front sheet of one said second bag below the upper end thereof,

the lower edge of each said second bag terminating 4 substantially half Way between the top and bottom of each said third bag,

each said bag being of a size suitable to receive a garment having a collar with the collar of each said garment in each said first bag disposed above the collar of the garment in each said second bag,

each said bag being open at its upper end and closed at its lower end,

a portion of the front wall of each said bag adjacent its upper end being cut out to form a notch conforming to the collar band of a garment whereby the collars of the garments may be held in shape,

said hanger means comprising a relatively rigid piece of cardboard folded generally parallel to one of the upper edges of said first bags,

and hook means attached to said cardboard.

ifieferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,914 1/1919 Kelley ISO-28 1,795,049 3/1931 Shafer 206-7 1,909,942 5/1933 Fingerman 1501 2,405,517 8/ 1946 Plummer 2201 13 2,704,098 3/1955 Pocock 1501 2,979,098 4/1961 Greaves 1501 3,060,075 10/ 1962 Kincaid 156-251 3,063,570 11/1962 Kroner 211-113 0 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

